Use of Information Resources for Clinical Decisions by Nurses and Nursing Students, and Its Barriers after Introducing Information Technology

Introduction: Holding computer skills training and information technology (IT) courses for nurses and delivering IT courses in nursing curriculum are of recent changes in nursing field. This study focuses on the identification and comparison of information sources used by nurses and nursing students after introducing information technology and identifying barriers to using them. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 412 nurses and nursing students in hospitals affiliated to university of medical sciences and social security organization in Semnan(Iran) during 2011. Data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire that measured the use of information resources. Data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistical tests. Results: Despite that most subjects had passed IT training courses, they had little desire to use databases (2.3±0.6,out of 4, Average of monthly use) and electronic journals (2.7±0.7) in their clinical decisions. Lack of skill in the use of the library (2.2±0.6) and also difficulty in understanding scientific papers (2.1±0.9) were the most important barriers reported by nurses and students. The difference of scores for using information resources and reported barriers was significant between students and nurses (P <0.01). Conclusion: The results showed that the provision of infrastructures for using up to date information resources in nursing was not sufficient. It seems important to consider comprehensive approaches in the field of information management to increase nurses’ and students’ willingness to use these information sources.